ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · date · bear · ball · last · bowl · race · board

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. board — a committee
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a great time
  14. race — a contest
  15. fall — the season
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com